West Morgan’s Sanders looks to add to National Champion UNA team

Caleb Suggs

Hartselle Enquirer

Two weeks ago when the University of North Alabama defeated Humboldt State to secure their first ever Division II National Championship, it was the culmination of years of hard work by the Lions. However, for West Morgan’s Sydney Sanders, it was just a sign of things to come. “People were texting me and tagging me on Facebook saying that is going to be you next year.” Sanders, a 2016 graduate, signed with UNA earlier this year and will start at the school this fall.

Softball has always been a huge part of Sanders life but it was actually T-Ball where she got her start. “I started playing T-Ball first,” Sanders said, “I used to always try to get home runs because we got free ice cream.” Growing up, Sanders was very influenced by her brothers and it led her to try different sports. “I pretty much did whatever my brothers did,” Sanders said “So when I was 10 I started playing Upward Basketball because they played it too.” From there she found that she enjoyed the sport and continued on throughout junior high and into high school. It was after her junior year that she felt it was time to move on. “I tore my ACL in my tenth grade year,” Sanders said. “I played my junior year but I decided not to my senior year to focus on softball and it was a tough decision.”

It didn’t take long for Sanders to find her way onto the West Morgan varsity team as she joined the team as an eighth grader. It was there as the team’s catcher that she enjoyed being apart of their success. In 2014, the Rebels advanced all the way to the state tournament in Montgomery. Sanders had just come in at the end of the season after recovering from her ACL tear. “I am thankful that I even got to play,” Sanders said “The doctors said that I shouldn’t have been able to.” Although West Morgan left empty handed, just being there was enough to make Sanders want more.

Entering the 2016 season, the Rebels came in with one goal in mind and that was Montgomery. “We came in with plenty of hype” Sanders said “but it wasn’t until around midseason that we really started to gel.” The turning point for the season would come in the Morgan County Championship. After dropping the first game of the tournament to Hartselle , West Morgan roared back to set up a rematch with the Tigers in the championship game. However, it wouldn’t be your usual championship. Sanders along with Hartselle pitcher Hope Cain came into the game having pitched several games already. “Me and Hope had been pitching all day when we started that game” Sanders said “We were both throwing our pitches flat.” What ensued as a result of the long day would be would of the wildest roller coaster games in recent memory. “That game was crazy,” Sanders said. “It was like we would score four runs then they would score four runs.” That game went back-an-forth, which included a three-run homerun by Sanders, until West Morgan went into the last inning with a three-run lead and needing just three outs to win. “In the last inning we brought in our closer and she does really good when she comes in after me,” Sanders said “I knew then that we had them.” West Morgan would go on to win 14-11 and claim the Morgan County championship.

From there, the Rebels finished out the season by winning their Area championship and advancing to the regional tournament in Huntsville. However, the first game there didn’t go quite as planned as it ended in a loss in a tightly contested offensive shootout to the Plainview Bears. The Rebels would get things turned around though as they reeled off three straight wins of Brindlee Mountain, Sand Rock and Lauderdale County. Sanders would not give up a single run in those three games and the only run any team would score on them against any pitcher would be in the final inning of a run rule game that West Morgan won 12-1. “I just felt like I had to pitch like that in those games,” Sanders said “I didn’t want our season to end.” Those games would lead the Rebels to face off with Pisgah for the last spot in the state tournament. The Rebels had the lead until the very last inning when Sanders was faced with the challenge of a tie game, bases loaded and just one out and Pisgah needing just one run to score. “I started tearing up on the mound” Sanders said “I didn’t want it to end, and then Kayla (Moore) came over and said you can do this so I Just sucked it.” Sanders would show great heart by striking out the last two batters to force extra innings. The Rebels would fall in the eighth inning, but the grit and determination Sanders had shown was undeniable.

Now that she has graduated, Sanders looks on to her future. She committed to Wallace State as an eighth grader but decommited and later committed and signed with UNA in her junior and senior year respectively. “I took a visit down there and fell it love with it,” Sanders said “I love their coach, program and that it is close to home.” UNA will be looking to defend their newly won title next year and Sanders hopes she can help them. “I hope I can try and find a way to contribute early,” Sanders said. “I want to help them defend the title.”